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Expertise: Civil Engineering

South Cooper Mountain: Main Street

The South Cooper Mountain, Main Street development is a public-private partnership that consists of three multi-family buildings as well as 40,000 square-feet of commercial space and community-use facilities. The site design includes low-impact stormwater management techniques including vegetated planters and swales. Landscaping consists of native and drought-tolerant plant species and the site’s transit design of the TriMet stop will support multimodal transportation.

Affordable Housing with A Sustainable, Accessible Design

In support of the project’s residential uses, the site received funding through the Metro Affordable Housing Bond, administered by the City of Beaverton as well as Oregon Housing and Community Service (OHCS) tax credits. As a first for South Cooper Mountain, an urban plaza was also included in the design to complement the project’s varied utilization. That park project consists 0.25-acre plaza that will be owned and operated by Tualatin Hills Parks and Recreation District (THPRD). With affordable housing goals accounted for, the project is also designed to exceed high universal design standards, going above and beyond code to provide accessible features. In designing the residential buildings, a sustainable approach in accordance with universal design principles includes solar-ready and electric vehicle (EV)-ready infrastructure. All together, these sustainable elements position the South Cooper Main Street project to be certified with at least Earth Advantage Silver standards. A multi-day design charrette with City of Beaverton staff delivered a site design that met the needs of the community, the jurisdiction, the developer and future residents and tenants. With a true multidisciplinary approach, Otak managed everything from land use planning and entitlement to site surveying and construction documentation to complete the design for this mixed use development.

Black History Month: Contributions of Black Americans in the A/E/C Industry

Posted on by OTAK Team

Author: Millicent Williams

As we prepare to observe Black History Month here in the United States, we are reminded of the significant ways that Black Americans have contributed to and improved our communities through innovation. As we consider the Architecture and Engineering industry, one cannot separate the transformative nature of the work that we perform on a daily basis from the people who made so much of what we do possible. And even when we aren’t working, we see, use and enjoy inventions that Black Americans developed to improve our way of life.

Are you considering a roundabout as an engineering solution to improve traffic flow and relieve congestion? You can thank Benjamin Banneker, a watchmaker, almanac author and surveyor, who led the redesign of the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.) incorporating a series of traffic circles to address the misalignment of roads left by a previous roadway designer. Are you designing a signalized intersection? Look to the genius of Garrett A. Morgan who developed the three-light traffic signal. Do the streets that you designed need to be maintained?  Charles Brooks has just what you need – a motorized street sweeper.

Do you enjoy the variation in color that you are able to use when drafting engineering designs?  You can thank Mark Dean for co-inventing the IBM PC monitor. And speaking of computers, something that none of us can do without, the gigahertz chip – a revolutionary piece of technology that is able to do a billion calculations per second and is in every modern computer, was also invented by Mark Dean.

Designing a light rail corridor? Concerned about fuel efficiency and climate friendly solutions? Well, you can look to Granville T. Woods who invented the ‘troller,” a grooved metal wheel that allowed street cars (later known as “trolleys”) to collect electric power from overhead wires. And speaking of trains (or better stated, rail) don’t forget about the automatic car coupler (invented by Andrew Jackson Beard) because the railcars need to connect with ease.

Need to make a Teams or Zoom call? Make sure that your microphone (developed by James West) isn’t on mute!  It’s a good thing that we have Marian Croak’s voice-over Internet protocol (VoIP) to keep us connected. And don’t forget to add a GIF before you end the meeting…thanks for the laughs, Lisa Gelobter. Taking a ride to the 8th floor on the elevator? The automatic elevator doors were invented by Alexander Miles over 100 years ago with design elements that have stood the test of time.

Are you going to take a client out for an afternoon of golf? Well, don’t forget the golf tees created by Dr. George Grant.  And, if you get lost on your way to the course, pull up your GPS (invented by Gladys West) and make a quick call on your cellular phone (invented by Henry Sampson) to let your foursome know that you’ll be late.  Thank goodness there’s caller ID on your touch-tone telephone (both invented by Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson) allowing you to find their contact information and dial with ease.

Going to the company picnic?  Don’t forget your Super Soakers (Lonnie Johnson).  Going on vacation and need to take a long-distance flight (not the first flight…the first long-distance one)? Charles W. Chappelle can help you fly the friendly skies. Just need to take a short hop to your next destination? Let Paul E. Williams helicopter get you there. And Katherine Johnson, the NASA research mathematician who made the 1969 moon landing possible, can get you to the moon and back.

While I’ve listed several inventors of significance, there are hundreds of individuals with thousands of inventions, that I haven’t.  If you’re interested in learning more, visit your local library or check out sites like www.ASALH.org (Association for the Study of African American Life and History), Daily Hive – Inventions by Black People, or this list of inventors and scientists.

…and that, folks, is the ‘Real McCoy’ (a phrase suggesting authenticity that is attributed to Elijah McCoy who received nearly 60 patents related to lubrication systems, who developed designs for modern ironing boards, the lawn sprinkler and other machines)!

Residences at Arnada

Located on Block 77, between East 16th and 17th Streets and East D and E Streets, in the downtown area of the City of Vancouver is an addition of affordable housing in the commercial city center.

Adding Affordable Housing to the Commercial City Center

Consisting of 83 dwelling units in 2 buildings with 56 parking spaces provided through planning adjustments such as additional secure bike storage. The project includes live/work units on the ground floor and a multiple of unit types that will be designed for a mixture of 50% median income and market rate clientele. The buildings are  designed to be a three-story wood framed building with tuck under parking and ground floor Live Work units and an amenity space, and a four-story wood-framed building with an elevator as well as ground floor Live Work units with tuck under parking and amenity spaces such as community kitchen, exercise facility and leasing office. Otak provided earlier phases of development including land use, preliminary design, Civil Engineering, Landscape Architecture and traffic study.

2nd Street Bridge Brings A Community Back Together

The design of a bridge reflects not just a path over an obstacle, but also the joining of two areas of land that are separated. For Otak’s designers, the 2nd Street Avenue bridge in Lyons, Colorado, had a third purpose, which was to put a community back together after it had been devastated by the 2013 floods. 

The previous bridge was heavily damaged by floodwaters and debris.

When the floods hit, water beat on the bridge for several days and a fallen log hit one of the key structural supports. Flood debris covered the bridge’s piers causing water to infiltrate the town’s wastewater treatment plant, destroy a storage building and equipment used by the town’s Public Work Department, and damage a downstream bridge. Eventually, the damaged and unsafe bridge took away the connection between the town, two housing subdivisions, a church, a school, a park, and a recycling center.

Otak was hired by the town to do emergency repairs to the bridge and to design the new structure. Zak Dirt was brought in as the contractor. Various engineers worked on the project throughout its lengthy design process, with Otak’s Structures Group Manager Dan Beltzer finishing out the job. “We had a great team to guide this work. The design really shows how simply rebuilding isn’t always enough. This bridge was built back better as a sustainable structure that will last well into the future,” Dan says. 

The new single-span bridge is 139 feet, crossing the St. Vrain Creek. The design was approved in the fall of 2019 and construction started in 2020 with a cost of about $4 million funded in part by  FEMA with assistance from the Colorado Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Relief program. The new bridge was built six feet higher than the original structure, to convey the 100-year storm event to allow for future floodwaters and debris to safely pass under it. It was also built to withstand a 500-year scour event. Dan says scour is the number one reason bridges collapse. 

A ribbon cutting celebrated the new bridge and memorialized the town’s former engineer.

The project was unique in that it was the first bridge in the state to use the Colorado Department of Transportation’s new Bulb-Tee concrete girder shape.  “Colorado’s new standard provides more girth, which allowed us to further minimize the required bridge depth as compared to the previous standard – which helps the hydraulic conveyance while minimizing the required raise in roadway grade.  The new standard became available very late in the design process and none had yet been built.  In fact, only one fabricator had the ability at that time to construct the girders.  Still, pricing and learning-curve concerns gave way to the design benefits.” Dan comments.

A ribbon-cutting was held on July 8 to celebrate not just the completion of the bridge and one of the last FEMA flood recovery projects in the community, but the resiliency of Lyons. Dan says the ceremony also stood as a memorial to Jim Blankenship who served as the town’s engineer for over a decade, and worked with Otak on several projects, including the Main Street Reconstruction project, which won the APWA Colorado’s overall Project of the Year award.  The event drew dignitaries, such as Colorado Senator John Hickenlooper, Congressman Joe Neguse, and Lt. Governor Primavera. The officials touted the ability of not just Lyons, but of any community, to build back better and ensure a safer future.

Otak Welcomes Millicent Williams as New Regional Director OR & SW Washington

As Otak celebrates its 40th year, we’re setting our sights firmly on the future and the work we still have to do in the communities we serve. We’re excited to announce to everyone here at Otak, our clients, and our community partners, that Millicent Williams, former Deputy Director at the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), has joined the Otak team as the new Regional Director for Oregon/SW Washington focused on the public sector.

Jim Hamann, Otak’s CEO, reflects, “Millicent’s wide-ranging experience and background will help us address tomorrow’s challenges with fresh, creative approaches. Millicent leads our business in Oregon and SW Washington with a focus on public sector clients and projects. The challenges that communities are facing call for fresh approaches and solutions that reflect a responsiveness to the needs of the whole community. She will make a significant contribution in how we respond.”

With over 20 years working in the public sector at all levels from grassroots community service to providing agency leadership, Millicent brings a fresh perspective to Otak. “My life and professional experiences have shaped my perspective and influenced the way that I engage.  I grew up on the east coast and attended Florida A&M University. My sense of obligation to serve communities and bridge gaps led me to a career in public service which formally started in Washington DC and has taken me to jurisdictions across the country. I’m an innovative problem-solver and, because of my approach, have had the opportunity to work across a broad spectrum of disciplines. Here in Oregon, transportation has been my focus. It was my pleasure to work to align PBOT’s goals with the needs of community members who understand the importance of having a transportation system that serves them well. I look forward to bringing my understanding of local, state, and national government operations, and community partnership to Otak as we seek to grow public sector relationships.”

Millicent is excited about her role at Otak and continuing the work she has been doing in the public sector from a new perspective. “I have an opportunity to work with an incredibly talented team of planners, engineers, architects, project and construction managers, who work collaboratively to design and build projects that reflect a sensitivity to what clients and their communities are looking for. I believe Otak can excel at delivering on their vision and look forward to supporting its broad organizational goals.”

Collaboration and Coordination Bring Skyview Station to Construction

Skyview Station in Salmon Creek, Washington was an underutilized, light industrial site that sat amidst a fast-growing community. Hurley Development saw an opportunity to turn this piece of property into a retail center to serve the local population. To accomplish this goal, Hurley realized the need and importance of an experienced and sophisticated consultant who could handle the development complexity and myriad permits required. Hurley turned to the Vancouver office of Otak, and the leadership of Tim Leavitt, PE, Regional Director of Civil Design.

Otak’s multi-disciplined team of planners, surveyors, engineers, and landscape architects offer the experience and depth to efficiently solve the site challenges and design a project that was readily approved by the presiding agencies. “We offered our client recent experience with another project adjacent to this site, as well as solid and collaborative working relationships with the numerous agencies having jurisdiction here,” said Leavitt, who also served as the Otak Project Manager for the Skyview Station project.

Projects like Skyview Station, located in unincorporated Clark County, required coordination with multiple jurisdictions.“This was a real team effort. Agency staff were supportive and proactive. The permitting process was quite constructive, from start to finish,” according to Leavitt. The labyrinth of permitting included reviews and approvals by Washington State Department of Transportation, Clark Public Utilities, Clark Regional Wastewater District, Clark County Fire District #6, and Clark County.

Permitting was one complexity. The other challenge was the existing conditions. One access point to the commercial center is from the NE 139th Street overpass, constructed and owned by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). This overpass was constructed on Geofoam, a nontypical foundation system that allows large and heavy structures to be constructed in undesirable soil conditions (e.g., wetlands). Otak’s structural engineers, civil engineers, and the geotechnical engineer-of-record designed an access ramp that ensured the new improvement would not impact the complex overpass foundation system and would be acceptable to WSDOT. Another existing conditions complication was the site elevations, which dropped over 20 feet across the property. To ensure accessibility and flat building pads, Otak’s structural engineering team designed a gabion retaining wall along the eastern property line, with heights ranging from 2-18 feet. 

The project received final agency approvals in December 2019. But…it wasn’t quite time to begin construction. In lieu of a new signalized intersection at the main site entry, Clark County Public Works and Transportation requested that Hurley instead consider a roundabout improvement. Hurley agreed, and after the execution of a Development Agreement, Otak was asked to design a roundabout and related site and frontage improvements.

As Leavitt described, “The footprint of a roundabout is larger than a signalized intersection. Our initial challenge was to locate and design a roundabout that did not impact neighboring properties and minimized impact to the Skyview Station site layout. Working closely with Clark County transportation staff, we quickly solved that challenge, and moved forward with the permit documents.” 

Although approving of the change in plans, Hurley wanted to minimize the design and permitting timeline for the roundabout improvement. Otak was ready for the challenge of bringing together a complex change under a tight timeframe. With agreement from Clark County, regular update meetings occurred to review the design advancement and address comments, questions, and concerns in real-time. “This public road improvement is extremely important to both the County and Hurley, so the attitude was “all hands on deck”, said Leavitt. 

Otak’s in-house development professionals enabled a quick transition to the new design and permitting effort. Design efforts were led by Phil Hymas, PE (roadway), Scott Nettleton, PE (structures), Rose Horton, PE (stormwater), Brad Swearingen, PE (site engineering), and David Haynes, PLA (landscape architecture). All told, 15 Otak professionals dove into this project headfirst and worked together to bring the project to fruition, resulting in what will be a vibrant new commercial center for local residents, as well as an important local improvement to the public roadway system.

Otak Completes ODOT Project to Repair and Upgrade Bad Banks Culvert

Lying beneath fifty-feet of fill and one of Oregon’s major recreational highways, was an ailing 75-year old concrete culvert with a history of operation and maintenance problems. The culvert in question funnels the Bad Banks Creek underneath Oregon State Route 22 about four miles east of Gates, Oregon. Working with the Oregon Department of Transportation, Otak’s hydraulics engineering team led a design and construction project to repair damage to the 300 foot-long culvert, improve stream flow and provide safer access for ODOT inspection and maintenance crews and equipment. 

The Bad Banks Creek culvert at HWY 22 was subject to abrasion from sediment flowing in the stream channel, which over time, had worn down the concrete culvert and exposed the rebar reinforcement. The culvert also presented various safety issues for ODOT inspection and maintenance crews as it was difficult to access either end of the culvert due to steep slopes and lack of space to operate. While extending the life of the culvert was a priority, the other significant part of the project was to improve access for long-term maintenance.

Otak was hired by ODOT in May of 2019 to provide design services for repairs to the culvert to extend its service life and to modify the culvert entrance to improve access for long-term operation and maintenance of the culvert. Otak was then hired to provide construction administration, engineering, and inspection services during construction, which began in June 2020. 

Extending the life of the culvert made sense—the typical life-span of concrete reinforced culverts is 75-100 years and it would have been very expensive to replace. As Otak Project Manager and Principal Kevin Timmins, states, “if the culvert ever does get replaced it will likely be with a bridge.”  Rather than a costly bridge project with major disruptions to traffic along HWY 22, ODOT was able to get money and permits to make repairs and modifications and chose to work with Otak on a design to prolong the life of the culvert while also addressing the safety and access issues.

To mitigate the effects of streamflow and sediment abrasion, the culvert was lined with six inches of new concrete. The upstream end of the culvert was also extended, a more gradual transition into the culvert was added for better streamflow, and debris fins were installed at the upstream end to catch large debris so it doesn’t enter the culvert. The modifications had the added benefit of allowing the maintenance access road to come further down. As Kevin explains, “previously the access road just stopped at a steep vertical drop off into the culvert. By extending the culvert we were able to bring the road down and across the top of the culvert to the other side where we were able to create a level area where ODOT will be able to park an excavator and reach upstream of the debris fins in the event they need to be able to clear debris in front of the culvert.” 

Ten days before substantial completion in September of 2020, the Beechie Creek fire burned through the construction site, scorching the forest vegetation, melting the stream bypass system, and causing damage to a portion of the freshly poured concrete. Otak has been working with the ODOT to manage the response at this site, including project closeout and plans for additional site stabilization and concrete repairs to be constructed in 2021.

“One of the reasons we were excited to work on this project was the fact that we were already familiar with the site,” Kevin stated, “and that our water resource team has a lot of experience in working in streams. They understand the hydraulic conditions, how to manage streamflow during construction, how to accommodate construction access.” This project was an opportunity for Otak’s hydraulics team, who possess deep knowledge and capacity for hydraulic engineering, to work in tandem with Otak’s structural team. Additionally, Otak has experience working on projects in environmentally sensitive areas, and mitigating the environmental impact during construction was a priority and requirement of the state.

In the end, the culvert repairs have staved off a costly bridge replacement by extending the life of the culvert and ODOT inspection and maintenance staff now have better and safer access to the culvert.

A Holistic Approach to Transportation and Community Design

Posted on by OTAK Team

The cool thing about Otak—the reason we love working here—is our complete focus on making the places we live, work, and play even better than they are today.  We do that through our work and through our community activities. The services we provide as transportation engineers and planners are one of the ways we help implement a community’s vision.

Few elements shape a community and how it functions more than transportation. From roads to trails to transit systems, how and how far we travel has a direct impact on the economic and environmental sustainability of a region and ultimately its livability.

For the past thirty years, Otak has been working with city planners, municipal leaders, and developers to design new urban centers, plan transit systems, and restore and protect natural spaces. The hallmark of our work is an integrated multi-disciplinary approach to each project and to community development. We think about the community as a whole and all the implications of a project—a process we believe is critical when it comes to transportation planning.

Transportation engineering planning as a whole.

When we look at the transportation needs of a city or region, we look beyond the immediate problem to gain a broader perspective of priorities and possible solutions. We start by listening to the people who live and work in the community, as well as city leaders. We seek to understand the desires and needs of the community as a whole—residents, businesses, and commuters. We bring into focus the long-term goals, looking years into the future, exploring growth challenges, and possible solutions.

Otak’s continuing work with Community Transit (CT), Snohomish County’s transit provider, is a case in point. We have led the final design work on each of CT’s three BRT lines. Each of these lines is intimately connected with the cities and neighborhoods they serve. A value we provide is that we know those communities and have the experience to use our design talent to improve mobility and make them even better places to live—all while avoiding unwelcome impacts.  

Leveraging limited resources.

By looking at transportation projects as part of a whole, we not only find practical solutions that will not have to be replaced in a few years, we often learn of other pressing needs and projects, and ways to leverage resources and budgets for greater outcomes. What may seem like competing priorities can often work together.

A problem facing many cities today is a backlog of infrastructure repair and maintenance projects, as well as an equally pressing need for infrastructure expansion. The challenge is addressing both with limited funding resources and strict regulatory mandates. Finding workable solutions requires some creativity, but it all comes down to understanding the full range of community needs, current and proposed projects, as well as the regulatory process and the different funding sources available. One of the strengths of our team is we have experienced engineers, designers, and planners who are knowledgeable about both current regulatory guidelines and compliance, and funding and funding streams.

An integrated approach to solving problems.

At Otak, we are very intentional about how we bring various disciplines together—water resources, landscape architecture, civil engineering—enabling our teams to take an integrated approach to planning, design, and construction. It is what sets Otak apart from larger and less experienced firms and has led to exciting opportunities and work we can be proud of.

One such example is the work we are doing in Colorado. On behalf of the City of Manitou Springs, Colorado, an integrated Otak team of structural, civil, and water resource engineers are collaborating with our landscape architects to replace an aging bridge with an aesthetically pleasing, functional, and resilient structure. The new bridge will improve safety for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists alike, while also incorporating public art and low-maintenance contextual landscaping into the solution. Working together, in partnership with the client and the local community, the Otak team is creating a unique multimodal solution and a beautiful gateway to the Garden of the Gods.

Our planning, engineering, and construction services teams work on a full range of transportation projects throughout the Pacific Northwest and Colorado that are making a difference in how communities remain connected. From community transit projects crossing multiple jurisdictions, and first- and last-mile solutions, to culvert design for improved fish passages, and pedestrian and bike trails, we are solving complex transportation challenges and offering multimodal ways of commuting that present a sustainable model for a resilient future.

Multi-use Walkway Brings Community Connectivity to Milwaukie

The City of Milwaukie, Oregon has submitted an application for APWA’s Oregon Chapter Project of the Year for the Kronberg Park Multiuse Walkway that was designed by a team from Otak’s Vancouver office. The walkway was completed in May of this year.

The project was a combination pathway and elevated structure designed as a connection for pedestrians and bicycles between downtown Milwaukie and McLoughlin Boulevard. The new path eliminates the need for people and cyclists to cross a busy highway. It also provides a viewpoint and rest stop midway along the corridor. Overall it encompasses a 340-foot long bridge, a 60-foot shorter bridge, and an at-grade pathway. 

Scott Nettleton was the bridge design lead for Otak, working alongside project manager Chuck Green,  Sam Lozano, who did civil design, and Josh Pope who worked on the shorter bridge.  

The steel girder bridges with concrete decks and steel handrails were designed to curve around the trees, minimizing the need for tree removal. “It’s made to feel that you’re up in the canopy of the trees,” Nettleton said. Bridges were needed because the path runs next to Kellogg Creek Lake which can flow up over its banks. 

The project was not without challenges. The site itself sits over an old construction landfill and deep underground there is a 40-year old masonry sewer line. Both of these factors complicated pile arrangements and driving for the bridge as the obstacles had to be avoided. Predrilling had to occur for some of the piles. 

Another challenge was to comply with the migratory bird season work stoppages while still remaining on time and budget. With the City and Otak’s experience from previous projects, they identified a solution to set up construction fencing to prevent migratory bird nesting in the disturbance area.

In other environmental protection measures, the path width was held to 10 feet, permeable materials were used, a balance between cut and fill was maintained, and there was maximum tree preservation. 

Through Otak’s experience and skill with bridge design and engineering, the City of Milwaukie was able to complete this community connection that was first identified as a community need in the Kronberg Park Master Plan of 2014. 

 

Pacific Highway Emergency Culvert Replacement Project Wins APWA Project of the Year Award

We are excited to announce another Otak project—the Pacific Highway Emergency Culvert Replacement in Clark County—has been awarded Project of the Year by the American Public Works Association (APWA) Washington Chapter. The Clark County Public Works project was recognized for excellence in the Disaster or Emergency Construction/Repair Category for projects under $5 million.

Following a heavy snow and rain event in February 2019, the existing culvert under Pacific Highway (northwest of La Center, Washington) was obstructed by debris and impounded water on the upstream end. The roadway base was also severely undermined, resulting in a deep scour hole beneath the road, and failure of the reinforced concrete panels of the old highway. The Clark County Council passed a Declaration of Emergency to expedite environmental approvals and contracting for the roadway repairs, and to reopen the highway as soon as possible. As the engineering consultant on-call, Otak was hired to quickly design a new crossing for the unnamed tributary. 

In addition to re-opening the roadway, the County had specific goals beyond the typical temporary emergency culvert replacement: 

  • Design a permanent solution to avoid future disruptions, costs, and road closures.
  • Ensure safe fish passage to the area’s Chinook, chum, coho, and steelhead.
  • Provide a cost-effective solution.
  • Avoid utility shutdowns.

The project design team consisted of Otak as the prime consultant, Zucker Engineering for additional engineering capacity, and Hart Crowser for geotechnical evaluations. Together with contractor Thompson Bros. Excavating, the team worked to design and construct a 13-foot span culvert, embedded with a natural stream bottom to repair the road and provide new fish passage. The road was reopened on March 29, 2019, just 45 days after the failure.

Congratulations to Nathan Dasler, PE, CFM, CWRE, and the rest of the team for successfully guiding this critical emergency project and quickly delivering an effective long-term solution to ensure public safety and restore critical fish passage.

 

To read more about this project click here.